Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King.

A/N: You must have finished the manga before continuing. May contain spoilers. You've been warned =p

Chapter 19

It was the last day; finally, the last battle towards being the Shaman King.

The final four teams were ushered to the forest. The guardians had positioned themselves around the final battle ground; they were starting to form a barrier. Goldva had come in with the participants to officiate.

"It's the final round," he started, "we will start once the cave appears. Team X-laws I, Funbari Onsen Team, Team The Ren, and Hoshigumi, get ready."

Most of them could feel the anticipation. Some were nervous of what will happen, some were confident in their own skills, but Hao just looked amused.

"START!"

"Maiden, let me handle him," Marco readjusted his glasses before disappearing with Luchist somewhere in the forest.

They didn't have to move much. It would be decided right there. But the rush wasn't there. It was like, they were taking their time – they had been sucked into Hao's pace.

"Show yourself already," Hao said, looking at Jeanne, and then smirked, "welcome to my forest."

Lyserg jumps protectively in front of her.

"Lyserg," she said, "stand aside, they'll just talk." Jeanne stated, confusing the others by their side.

"Whose forest did you say this was?" a voice appeared from behind Jeanne.

Ren, whose eyes widened at hearing the familiar voice, turned sharply to Jeanne's direction.

"Hey," she said when she felt the stares coming from her friends.

"RUE?!" they shouted in unison.

"Well, yeah."

"What are you doing here?" Yoh asked.

"You didn't think I won't be here to see this thru, did you?"

"I've contracted her to be my secondary spirit," Jeanne smiled as she added.

"When you said, you'd help us with all you've got, I'd never even think you'll come up with this," Ren said, gesturing to Jeanne. She never did like the Iron Maiden.

"Talking aside," Rue answered, now turning serious.

"Oh, you didn't forget about me," Hao said, amusement in his voice.

"I told you, Hao. This time, we will stop you."

We will save you.

He was uncharacteristically unfocused in the fight – not that he was losing. But it's because that was all he hears – from their thoughts. Everyone all but shouted it in his ears.

Nonsense. They don't know anything. "Why do you people try so hard to resist? You know where this is all going." He asked in a serious tone, amusement all gone – which Rue almost laughed at.

"It's because we're alive. There's still hope – so we can't give up, too," the Maiden Jeanne answered, while the others were busy coordinating their attacks.

They're all so ignorant. They'll get it soon enough, anyway – when I'm the Shaman King.

It was getting boring for Hao, they stopped being amusing a while back, after all. So he decided to end the game. His enemies fell one by one, and now only one was standing in front of him. But what can you do alone?

Before going into the cave, Hao left the red gem to Rue saying he doesn't have a need of it anymore.

"I'm starting to think you want us to win," she wasn't teasing, he felt it.

She has some amusing plans, but all of those still won't work. "That's some big words seeing as your comrades are all down."

"Comrades whom you didn't kill," she thought. What was the point? They'll all disappear anyway.

"I love to chat, but the old king is waiting for me," Hao said, not responding to her thoughts.

He smiled at her before entering the cave, it's not too far now. You'll see, you'll understand then the life I wanted you – and all of us shamans – to live. Until then…

Rue fused her spirit with Jeanne and using the spell she learned from Hao's book, binded Lyserg's soul to the Spirit of Fire. She asked Jeanne to heal the five elemental warriors, while she collected their other teammates. When she arrived, Marco, Ryu, and Faust were already in soul form. Once Jeanne had finished patching up the warriors, her spirit detached itself from her body.

"The five elemental warriors are now complete. Put your hands together," Rue told them, albeit gently, which worried her friends.

"We weren't told of this."

"This is a last resort," Marco answered, even he was speaking calmly, worrying the five even more. It doesn't sound like it's gonna be something good.

"Wh-What's happening?" Chocolove asked, but he still followed the instruction.

"Even though we would have a big enough furyoku combined, it will only help your elemental spirits as far as the cave would go. From there, you will be in the GS, and you will be regenerated," Faust explained, even Eliza was beside him smiling at the five.

"Faust? Where? Hey! What happened? Ryu?! You're disappearing!" The confused Horohoro spoke, as he looked at his comrades.

"For Master Yoh and for all you, my friends, my happy place," Ryu, with a grin, gave them a thumbs up, and even winked at Horohoro.

"Ryu…" Yoh trailed off, he seems to understand it a little.

"Please accept this gift from us. Save the world, warriors," she was talking as she normally has, but it was still unsettling.

"Mistress Jeanne! Why? For someone like me. You should be…" she's stronger than me, Lyserg continued in his mind. He thought his voice would fail him if he continued.

"Using our combined souls, you'll have enough power to last until you get to the G.S." Rue was explaining, but she was just looking at one person.

"Rue! Not you too!" Chocolove shouted.

"They've all agreed to do this because they believe that you're the ones who could finish this. Please don't let the sacrifices of all these people go to waste," Rue only continued speaking.

The others look at Ren, but he was, surprisingly, unresponsive; he's not even showing off any discernible emotion.

"I believe in you. I trust you'll finish this once and for all. Thank you," she smile whole-heartedly before disappearing with the others.

"Rue!" Horohoro called out. "What do we do now?"

"We move forward," Yoh answered, now more determined than ever.

"What happens to them?" Lyserg seems to still be confused, though.

"You heard her, don't let them down," finally, Ren spoke again. But it was surprising that he was showing the same level of determination as Yoh.

They were passing through the cave, which was getting narrower, and darker. But not one of them had any doubts in moving forward. As soon as he saw light, and his eyes readjusted, he saw Hao in front of him.

"Well? Sit down." He gestured to the space beside him. Yoh looked around, but failed to see his friends.

"Did you think I didn't purposely lead you here?" Hao started as Yoh sat right beside him, "I told you, you and I will become one in the end. You will return to me."

Yoh even surprised himself that he could be so calm, "Hao… I can see it, you don't have to hide it from me. You were afraid to be on your own – locked here for hundreds of years."

Hao sharply turns to Yoh, "you're impudent for someone who'll cease to exist."

He wills Yoh to be absorbed by him, but Yoh's soul remained intact. Yoh only smiled at him and revealed that he still has the Spirit of Earth with him. Just then the other four warriors were able to enter the G.S. using their elemental spirits.

Ren just glared.

"Hey," Horohoro greeted.

"We're coming in," Chocolove said.

"Excuse us," Lyserg politely said as he appeared.

"What a surprise," Hao said monotonously, as if mocking them, "you people came prepared."

"You can't underestimate us, Hao. Not anymore." Yoh said as he went beside his friends.

"Because we're fighting with all our friends' wishes." Ren continued; even the four warriors were surprised by his words.

"Ah. If you say it like that, Ren, then we really can't lose, can't we?" Lyserg looked pointedly at Hao as he finished talking. Suddenly, Hao was engulfed in flames.

"Do you think this could hurt me?!" Hao angrily shouted.

"Of course not." Then Chocolove called forth wind heightening Lyserg's flames. Hao stopped moving.

"We asked you not to underestimate us. We'll follow the same towards you, of course," Horohoro came with a tidal wave submerging Hao.

"You all piss me off!" Hao shouted, dispersing the water around him.

"You're losing your cool, nii-sama," Yoh smiled. He extended his hand towards Hao, and the latter was sucked towards Yoh. As he was approaching Yoh, he saw Ren smirk beside him, and he was hit by a massive lightning – while wet.

"Ah, Ren, too cruel," Yoh commented.

"Shut up! You all were talking too much," Ren responded, "of course that wouldn't finish him off."

As he said, Hao emerged from the smoke. Bruised, but not completely beaten.

"Why isn't he fighting back?" Chocolove asked as the five of them gathered again.

"What's the point, I'm already King. And you're all already dead," he said with a smile. His calm was back. In a blink, they saw the G.S right in front of them; Hao disappeared.

"Wh-What…?"

"Fools," they heard Hao chuckle form inside the G.S.

"We've been kicked out, it seems," Lyserg voiced out his observations.

They see Chocolove dash towards the G.S.

"Wait!" "Choco…!"

He disappeared as soon as he made contact with it.

"What happened to Chocolove?!" Horohoro shouted.

"Give up, warriors. You're done fighting."

Just then they hear Chocolove shouting from behind them. The soul train came, with it, were Chocolove, Rue, all of their friends, and family. Chocolove didn't just disappear, he was just sent to another society within the GS. That's when the others found him, and with his help, everyone got to enter where the fight was. But they still didn't know how to get to Hao.

Suddenly, they see Opacho jumping in. "I'm okay!" Opacho confirmed after she disappeared.

"Opacho…" they heard Hao say softly.

Rue thought of something, and wanted to try it, so she followed and jumped into the G.S. Yoh and Ren caught either of her arms, just before she reached the G.S.

"I think I know what to do," she was still intently looking at her destination.

"Do you trust me?" She looked at both men in the eye before continuing, "what's in your hearts right now? If you understand, then come with me."

She got out from their hold and disappears. Yoh nodded to Ren, and comes after Rue; he was followed by Ren. Soon the other warriors follows suit.

"We're here not to defeat you, Hao. We're here to save you," Rue said as she stepped in front of Hao; the other warriors were behind her. "You can't hide from us anymore."

"Shut it," Hao answers in irritation.

Ren immediately jumps in between them.

"You see Ren, aren't you a little confused? Who're you really gonna save?"

"My mind is clear, I'm here not only because I want to save you; but because I want to save her, too," Ren answered straight-forwardly.

"Ren…" Rue said softly from behind called man.

"Is that what's been bothering you this whole time, nii-san? Us wanting to save you?"

"That's probably why he lost the skill to hear anyone's heart, too." Just then the barrier around them shatters to reveal Anna who just spoke. "How long are you gonna play inside of there?"

"Took you long enough," Rue sighed before looking at Anna.

"It wasn't easy finding people who died a long time ago," Anna answered.

The others look at the woman behind Anna. Anna's mom! They collectively thought.

"Ah!" The woman who resembles Anna started to speak, "I'm sorry if my son's causing you troubles." She bowed her head on front of them, he even pulled Hao's head down with hers.

"M-Mother! Stop! Please read the mood."

"Pfft!" Hao sharply turns to look at Chocolove, who stiffened in fear. Though it was really funny.

"My son has been in your care. Thank you!"

"It wasn't really like…" Hao, attempted to answer, but his mother's hand stopped him.

"We'll have plenty to talk after this," she said.

"Ah, so we'll leave you two…"

"Wait! Tch. You may all go back to the human world…"

"Nii…!"

"…only if you choose it," Hao finished, still looking irritated to be called in such a way by Yoh. "Have a good life, Yoh," he said as Yoh started leaving the G.S.

"You, too… nii-sama," Yoh waved back happily before disappearing totally.

"That brat…" Hao said under his breath, "hey, you're still here," he told Rue, who was the only one left.

"I thought I'd greet your mother, before I go back."

"What did you say?" he said with irritation in his voice.

"I'll leave you two alone, then. Bye, Hao!" She dodged and hurriedly exits the G.S. but before she can leave, she turned back and repeated Hao's words, "we can go back if we choose to. Thank you, Hao!"

"My beloved son…"